Applicating apparatus and method



Sept. 26, 1939. F. w. BRITT APPLICATING APPARATUS AND IETHOD Filed Feb.'9, 1939 rank WI riff,

Patented Sept. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPLICATINGAPPARATUS AND METHOD Application February 9, 1939, Serial No. 255,514

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to container closures and moreparticularly to container closures of the cap type adapted to be used onbottles or other containers for medicines, cosmetics or other mediumswhich are required to be drawn from the bottle or other container insmall quantities and applied to a surface to be treated.

Prior constructions for fastening applicators to container closures havebeen generally unsatisfactory in that the applicators soon becamedetached from the cap, making the dispensing of the remainder of themedium within the container relatively diificult to the great chagrin ofthe user.

Other prior constructions involve relatively large and expensive holdingmeans for associating the applicator with the cap. Bulky holding meanshave been found to be unsatisfactory as in many cases the medium withinthe container may react with or act to rapidly deteriorate the saidholding means, effecting consequent disassociation of the applicatorfrom the cap. As combined cap-applicators have found great use indispensing mediums of relatively low cost, it is essential that theentire unit including the cap, applicator, container, etc. be of anature to cost as little as possible. Accordingly, it is essential thatthe holding means for associating the cap with the applicator be of thesmallest size that is necessary to effect its purpose and of arelatively inexpensive material.

It is an object of the instant invention to provide a combined containerclosure and applicator involving a simple, novel and inexpensive mediumfor holding the applicator to said closure.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a combined. cap andapplicator of relatively low cost, of a nature facilitating fabricationand permitting flexing of the applicator with respect to the cap.

Other objects and the nature and advantagesof the invention will beapparent from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section illustratingthe construction of the combined closure and applicator;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section taken alongline 22 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the grooved flexible socket;

Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the socket and a section of the applicatorin elevation prior to their association; and,

(Cl. ill-67.4)

Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating a cap and combined socket andapplicator prior to their association.

Referring to the drawing, a container cap l0 which may be formed of anymaterial such as for 5 example, plastics including phenolic resinoids,ureaformaldehyde resinoids, cellulose and vinyl compounds, is providedwith screw threads I l for association with a container havingcorresponding threads in the usual manner. The inner cenl0 tral portionof the container cap It may be formed with a protruding tubular socketlike formation l2 for receiving the upper end I3 of the applicator 14,which may be of the dropper type illustrated, the brush type, notshown,or it 15 may take any other form, and the holding means [5.

The processes involved in the formation of the container cap and theapplicator do not form part of the instant invention, but the associa-2o tion of these two elements is material to the invention and isdiscussed below in detail. The holding means [5, see Fig. 3, may befabricated of rubber, synthetic rubber such as polymerized chloro, 2,buta-diene, 1,3 known by the trade 9 5 names Duprene and Neoprene, orany other suitable flexible material. The holding means 15 is closed atits upper end it and is formed with a hollow interior H to receive the,upper end 13 of the applicator I l. The transverse dimen- 30.

Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the side walls [8 of the flexible 35,

holding means l5 below the closed end 16 thereof will bulge asillustrated in Fig. 5.

The curved surface of the generally cylindrical holding means l5, seeFig. 3, is provided with grooves l9 to form a fluted outer surfacecapable of marked change in external configuration under compression asfor example illustrated in Fig. 2, wherein the grooves I9 have beenreduced to but a fraction of their size before assembly of theapplicator with the cap through the medium 45 of holding means l5. Thetransverse dimension of the combined holding means and applicator upperend I3 is preferably greater than the transverse dimension of theinterior 20 of the socket like formation l2 formed within the cap Ill,whereby when the combined applicator upper end 13 and holding means l5are associated with the interior 20 of the protruding formation l2 assuggested by Fig. 5, the exterior of the side walls l8 will bematerially compressed and the grooves l9, illustrated in Fig. 3, will bereduced to but a fraction of their pre-assembly dimension or they maydisappear entirely.

After assembly the ball like lower end 2| of the applicator l4 may beutilized for applicating and dispensing purposes without contact withthe material receiving the medium dispensed or there may be contact andsufl'icient stress applied to effect flexing of the applicator M withrespect to the cap II] as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. Theresiliency of the holding means 15 permits such relative displacementofthe applicator l4 while at the same time holding the said applicatorsecurely to the cap II].

In the assembly of the combined cap and applicator, the bulging whichtakes place when the upper portion [3 of the applicator rod isassociated with the hollow interior H of the holding means I5 is more orless limited to the side walls l8 which are below the closed upper endl8, thereby permitting ready insertion of this sub-assembly into thehollow interior 2!! of the protruding formation 12 of the cap l0. Notonly does the substantially non-bulging portion N5 of the holding meansl6 permit of ready insertion of the other assembly but it prevents thepushing through of the upper portion l3 of the applicator which wouldtake place if the holding means l5 were simply a tube open at both ends.This pushing through would make the insertion thereof as a sub-assemblywithin the relatively small hollow interior 20 of the projectingformation l2 a very difficult task. The closed end 16 of the holdingmeans l5 therefore has a dual function, facilitating fabrication bypermitting ready association of the applicator with the cap andpreventing the insertion of the applicator rod into the container capwithout carrying with it the holding means l5.

In accordance with the instant invention, not only is the nature of thematerial of which the holding means I5 is fabricated depended upon toassociate the applicator with the cap but the structural formationthereof also effects this purpose and at the same time permits ofgreater flexing than would be possible without the said particularstructural formation.

While it is contemplated that in the fabrication of combinedcap-applicators in accordance with the invention that glass applicatorrods of substantially uniform section be utilized, the cross sectionaldimension of said glass applicator rods may vary without interferingwith the ready fabrication of the cap-applicator assemblies for thefluted exterior of the holding means [5 is capable of more or lessdistortion than that illustrated in Fig. 2, depending on the size of theupper portion l3 of the applicator I4. This variation of cross sectionaldimension of the upper portion l3 and the applicator l4 does not affectthe holding properties of the holding means [5 which effects itsfunction in a satisfactory manner by virtue of its configuration inaccordance with the invention.

It is to be understood that it is within the scope of the invention tovary the nature of the materials of which the elements described arefabricated. For example, though the applicator I4 is illustrated asbeing of glass it may be of another suitable material such as metal orsynthetic organic plastic and it is conceivable that the holding meansl5 be fabricated of cork or other organic or inorganic flexiblematerials.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made in this device without departing from the spirit of theinvention and therefore the invention is not limited to What is shown inthe drawing and described in the specification but only as indicated inthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A combined cap-applicator comprising a plastic container cap formedwith internal screw threads and a projecting tubular formation generallyconcentric to said screw threads, a glass applicator, and holding meansfor associating said glass applicator with the interior of said tubularformation, said holding means comprising a flexible closed endcup-shaped structure having a projecting portion on its exteriorsurface.

2. A combined cap-applicator comprising a cap having a hollow projectingformation, an applicator associated therewith, and holding means foreffecting said association comprising a fluted flexible structure.

3. A combined bottle cap-applicator comprising a formed plastic capincluding internal screw threads and a generally hollow cylindricalprojecting formation arranged generally concentric to said threads, aglass applicator rod, rubber holding means for effecting association ofthe upper portion of said rod with the interior of said hollowpro-jecting formation, said holding means comprising a generallycylindrical flexible structure closed at its upper end and formed withspaced vertical grooves on its curved surface to provide a plurality ofdistortable projecting strips.

4'. The method of fabricating a combined applicator, flexible cup-shapedholding means, and a container cap having a hollow protruding formationcomprising: inserting the upper end of the applicator into the flexiblecup-shaped holding means to substantially bulge a portion thereof,inserting the thus formed sub-assembly into the hollow protrudingformation of said cap, and effecting distortion of the exterior of saidholding means to provide a tight flexible junction.

'5. A combined cap-applicator comprising a cap having a projectingformation and an applicator associated therewith, a holding meanseffecting said association and comprising a rubber member having aprojection on its outer surface adapted to project a predetermineddistance prior to its association with the said formation of the saidcap and said projection adapted to be deformed subsequent to its saidasociation.

FRANK W. BRITT.

